Entrance system for short nose of locomotive

ABSTRACT

An entrance system for providing access to a short nose of a locomotive is provided. The entrance system includes a door assembly coupled to a wall. The door assembly further includes a panel having predetermined shape, and a plurality of vents on a surface of the panel. The door assembly further includes a frame encasing the panel and a first lock in member coupled to the frame. The frame has a hinged connection to the wall. The entrance system includes a second locking member coupled to the wall. The first locking member and the second locking member are adapted to prevent a rotation of the door assembly around the hinged connection under locking condition of the entrance system. The entrance system further includes a cover flush mounted with a floor of the cabin and at least a portion of the cover extends beneath the frame.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an entrance system and morespecifically, to the entrance system for a short nose of a locomotive.

BACKGROUND

A locomotive generally includes a cabin and a short nose at the front ofthe locomotive. Typically, control equipment essential to run thelocomotive is provided in the cabin and the short nose. The short nosehouses a variety of equipment including the locomotive's electronics,digital, and ancillary equipment such as, sensors, temperatureregulators, electrical switches, processors etc. This equipment performsa multitude of functions essential for smooth functioning of thelocomotive and operated by technical personnel only. Generally, thenon-technical staff is prohibited from entering the short nose as theymay unknowingly damage the equipment.

In order to ensure safety of the equipment, entry to the short nose isdesired to be restricted. However, since there is a difference in heightof the floor of the cabin and the floor of the short nose, the lockingarrangements become complex. Also, the equipment present in the shortnose generates a considerable amount of heat. If left in isolation, thetemperature of the equipment continues to rise, which in turn increasesthe risk of equipment catching fire. It is essential to continuouslydissipate heat produced from the equipment to prevent fire hazards andto prolong their life expectancy and improve reliability. Therefore,there exists a need to provide a system for restricting access to theshort nose, which also prevents overheating the equipment. Also, thesystem should be equipped with an easy to lock arrangement forrestricting access to the short nose.

United States Publication Number 2014/0325333 relates to an electricalenclosure for a locomotive having a cabin, the electrical enclosurecomprising a plurality of compartments configured to house a pluralityof different electrical components, and a duct formed within a first ofthe plurality of compartments located below the floor of the cabin, theduct configured to receive conditioned air from the cabin and to directthe conditioned air from a second of the plurality of compartments intothe first of the plurality of compartments. However, the electricalenclosure provided in the cabin does not restrict access to theelectronic equipment, leading to a risk of unauthorized access toelectronic equipment. Also, the reference does not disclose restrictingaccess to a short nose. Thus, there is a need to provide an improvedsystem for restricting access to the short nose of the locomotive, whichprevents unauthorized access of electronic equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present disclosure, an entrance system for a shortnose of a locomotive is provided. The entrance system for providingaccess to the short nose of the locomotive includes a door assemblycoupled to a wall of a cabin of the locomotive. The door assemblyincludes a panel having, a predetermined shape, and a plurality of ventson the surface of the panel. The door assembly further includes a frameencasing the panel and the frame having a hinged connection to the wallof the cabin at a first side of the frame allowing rotation of the doorassembly inside the short nose. The door assembly further includes afirst locking member coupled on a second side of the frame. The entrancesystem includes a second locking member coupled to the wall. Also, thefirst locking member and the second locking member are adapted to putthe entrance system in a locking condition to prevent a rotation of thedoor assembly around the hinged connection. The entrance system furtherincludes a cover flush mounted with a floor of the cabin and at least aportion of the cover extends beneath the frame.

Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a locomotive including a cabin and ashort nose in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an entrance system for the short noseand a detailed view of a first locking member and a second lockingmember in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a front view and a top view, taken along 2-2′, of a doorassembly in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top view; side view and bottom view of a cover in accordancewith the concepts of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the entrance system from the short nosein accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a locomotive 10 includes a cabin 12 and a shortnose 14. The cabin 12 is used as an operational area for users such as,but not limited to, operator, maintenance staff, responsible forfunctioning of the locomotive 10. The cabin 12 includes an entrancesystem 16, a wall 18, a side wall 20, a floor 22, a head bumper 24, ahand rail 26, and a first plurality of rear floor covers 28. The cabin12 further includes various other components such as, but not limited tochairs, operating workstations, windows, and so on. For the purpose ofsimplicity, the various other components of the cabin 12 are notlabelled in FIG. 1. The entrance system 16 provides access to the shortnose 14 and restricts access to the short nose 14 under lockingcondition of the entrance system 16. The short nose 14 houses severalequipment including sensors, temperature regulators, electricalswitches, processors, etc. The equipment present in the short nose 14 isused to monitor and control the operation of the locomotive 10.

The entrance system 16 includes a door assembly 30 and a floor cover 32.The door assembly 30 is coupled to the wall 18 of the cabin 12, andincludes a panel 34 enclosed within a frame 36 of the door assembly 30.The floor cover 32 is flush mounted with the floor 22 of the cabin 12.The head bumper 24 is attached to the wall 18 of the cabin 12 above thedoor assembly 30. The hand rail 26 is attached to the side wall 20 ofthe cabin 12 in close proximity of the door assembly 30.

Referring to FIG. 2, the door assembly 30 is coupled to the wall 18(FIG. 1) of the cabin 12. The frame 36 of the door assembly 30 has afirst side 38 and a second side 40. The first side 38 of the frame 36 ofthe door assembly 30 is provided with a first hinged connection 42. Thefirst hinged connection 42 includes a first hinge 44 and a second hinge46. The first hinge 44 and the second hinge 46 are fastened to the doorassembly 30 using a number of fasteners (not shown). The door assembly30 is coupled to the wall 18 at the first side 38 of the frame 36through the first hinged connection 42. The door assembly 30 is adaptedto rotate along an axis 1-1′ of the first hinged connection 42 inside ofthe short nose 14. A first locking member 48 is coupled to the frame 36at the second side 40. A second locking member 50 is coupled to the wall18. The first locking member 48 attached to the frame 36 and the secondlocking member 50 coupled to the wall 18 are adapted to put the entrancesystem 16 under a locking condition in order to restrict access to theshort nose 14. Under the locking condition of the entrance system 16,the first locking member 48 and the second locking member 50 prevent therotation of the door assembly 30. As an example, a lock (not shown) iscoupled to the first locking member 48 and the second locking member 50in order to put the entrance system 16 under the locking condition.

The entrance system 16 further includes the floor cover 32. The floorcover 32 has a predetermined length 52 that extends beneath the frame36. The extension of the floor cover 32 beneath the frame 36 preventsthe floor cover 32 to be opened under the locking condition of theentrance system 16. In order to gain access to the short nose 14, thelocking condition of the entrance system 16 is removed, for example, byremoving a lock coupled to the first locking member 48 and the secondlocking member 50. Thereafter, the floor cover 32 is removed in order togain access to the short nose 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, a front view and a top view, taken along 2-2′, ofthe door assembly 30 is shown. The panel 34 is contained within theframe 36 and having a surface 54. The panel 34 has a predeterminedshape. As an example, the predetermined shape includes, but not limited,a corrugated shape or a flat shape. The panel 34 includes a number ofvents 56 on the surface 54. The vents 56 on the surface 54 of the panel34 are adapted to allow the air to pass from the short nose 14 to thecabin 12 and vice-versa. The frame 36 includes first edges 58 at thefirst side 38, and second edges 60 at the second side 40. The firstedges 58 and the second edges 60 have a curved profile.

Referring to FIG. 4, a top view, a side view, and a bottom view of thefloor cover 32 of the entrance system 16 is shown. The floor cover 32includes a latch plate 62, attached to the floor cover 32 using a numberof fasteners 64. The floor cover 32 is coupled to the floor 22 using afirst member 66 and a second member 68. As an example, the floor cover32 is coupled to the floor 22, the first member 66 and the second member68 engage with a metal strip (not shown) provided in the floor 22 inorder to lock the floor cover 32. In another example, there are slotsprovided in the floor 32 which engage the first member 66 and the secondmember 68. In a locking configuration of the floor cover 32, the firstmember 66 and the second member 68 are placed within the slots presentin the floor 22 in order to lock the floor cover 32. In order to gainaccess to the short nose 14, the latch plate 62 is used to remove thefloor cover 32. As discussed above, the predetermined length 52 of thefloor cover 32 is placed beneath the frame 36 of the door assembly 30,therefore, the floor cover 32 is only opened, after the door assembly 30rotates around the first hinged connection 42 inside of the short nose14.

Referring to FIG. 5, a perspective view of the entrance system 16 fromthe short nose 14 is shown. The cabin 12 includes a staircase 70 thatconnects the floor 22 of the cabin 12 to the short nose 14. Thestaircase 70 includes a number of steps for a user to climb down to theshort nose 14. Each step of the staircase 70 has a tread 72 and a riser74. The tread 72 is made up of a non-slippery material such as, but notlimited to, rubber. The surface of the riser 74 has a rectangular wiremesh 76. The number of steps of the staircase 70 depends on a differencein height between the floor 22 of the cabin 12 and a floor (not shown)of the short nose 14.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the frame 36 is shownto have rectangular shape, however, the frame 36 may have any othersuitable shape. Also, the frame 36 is shown to have two hinges, thefirst hinged connection 42 may include additional hinges. Further, thepanel 34 has a predetermined thickness and a material of constructionincluding, but not limited to Steel, Iron, Brass, Copper, Aluminium,Nickel, Tin, and Titanium.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Referring to FIG. 1, the locomotive 10 includes the cabin 12 and theshort nose 14 at the front of the locomotive 10. The short nose 14includes a variety of equipment including the locomotive's electronicsand digital equipment such as sensors, temperature regulators,electrical switches, processors, etc. The entry to the short nose 14should be restricted to ensure safety of the equipment. However, asthere is difference in height of the floor 22 of the cabin 12 and afloor of the short nose, the locking arrangements become complex. Also,the equipment present in the short nose generate a considerable amountof heat. If left in isolation, the temperature of the equipment in theshort nose will continues to rise, which in turn increases the risk of afire. It is essential to continuously dissipate heat produced from theequipment to prevent fire hazard and to prolong the life of equipmentand improve reliability. Therefore; there exists a need to provide asystem for restricting access to a short nose, which also preventsoverheating of the equipment. Also, the system should be equipped withan easy to lock arrangement for restricting access to the short nose 14.

Referring to FIG. 2, the entrance system 16 for the short nose 14 of thelocomotive 10 includes the first locking member 48 coupled to the secondside 40 of the frame 36 of the door assembly 30 and the second lockingmember 50 coupled to the wall 18. The first locking, member 48 and thesecond locking member 50 are adapted to put the entrance system 16 undera locking condition to restrict access to the short nose 14. Theentrance system 16 is designed to be locked at single location whichsimplifies the design of the entrance system 16. The floor cover 32covers the staircase 70 of the short nose 14 and prevents any possiblefall hazards. The floor cover 32 has the predetermined length 52 thatextends beneath the frame 36. Therefore, the floor cover 32 cannot beopened before opening the door assembly 30. This ensures completelyrestricted entry to the short nose 14 and safety of equipment present inthe short nose 14.

Referring to FIGS. 3 & 5, the panel 34 of the door assembly 30 includesthe vents 56 on its surface 54. The vents 56 are adapted to allow theair to pass from the short nose 14 to the cabin 12 and vice-versa. Thisensures that heat generated by the equipment present in the short nose14 is continuously dissipated and the temperature of the equipmentinside the short nose 14 remains stable within acceptable safety limits.The frame 36 includes the first edges 58 at the first side 38, and thesecond edges 60 at the second side 40. The first edges 58 and the secondedges 60 have a curved profile. The frame 36 is configured with thefirst edges 58 and the second edges 60 having a curved profile to ensuresmooth contact between the door assembly 30 and the wall 18 and preventcuts and scrapes on the door assembly 30 and the floor 22. The floorcover 32 is flush mounted with the floor 22 of the cabin 12. Thisensures that a user inside the cabin 12 does not trip over the floorcover 32. The head bumper 24 attached to the wall 18 of the cabin 12above the door assembly 30 prevents head injuries while entering orexiting the short nose 14. The hand rail 26 attached to the side wall 20of the cabin 12 aids a user while going up and down the staircase 70.

While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown anddescribed with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may becontemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems andmethods without departing from the spirit and scope of what isdisclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within thescope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims andany equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. An entrance system for providing access to ashort nose of a locomotive, the entrance system comprising: a doorassembly coupled to a wall of a cabin of the locomotive, the doorassembly including: a panel having a predetermined shape, and aplurality of vents on a surface of the panel; a frame encasing thepanel, the frame having a hinged connection to the wall of the cabin ata first side of the frame allowing rotation of the door assembly insidethe short nose; and a first locking member coupled to the frame on asecond side of the frame; a second locking member coupled to the wall,the first locking member and the second locking member adapted toprevent rotation of the door assembly, around the hinged connectionunder locking condition of the entrance system; and a cover flushmounted with a floor of the cabin, wherein at least a portion of thecover extends beneath the frame.